Gemma Collins has said she mistook her long Covid symptoms for a heart attack.
The former TOWIE star, 42, contracted the virus last year and is still suffering with side effects months on.
Speaking about her diagnosis, the TV star recalled how her chest pain got so bad last month that she was forced to call 999 for fear she was having a heart attack.
She told OK! magazine: “The palpitations got so bad I thought I was having a heart attack. I called an ambulance, and the paramedics did an ECG [electrocardiogram] and said, ‘We need to take you to hospital.’
“I said to myself, ‘Great, this is it. My time is up.’ But, thank God, it was a condition called costochondritis, which can cause severe chest pain and happens because of coughing or an infection.”
Collins added that she “hasn’t been able to shift” any of her symptoms but has recently started ice cryotherapy sessions to alleviate some of her concerns.
Cryotherapy goes from a temperature of +70C to -196C in seconds and is said to promote health and well-being while boosting the immune system.
In February, Collins revealed that she suffered a health emergency and an ambulance was called to her Essex home.
At the time, she took to Instagram to update her followers on her health and shared two separate photos confirming she’d been helped by medical professionals.
One image showed her hooked up to wires as paramedic staff kneeled at her feet while another photo showcased an ambulance outside her home.
Alongside her posts, the 42-year-old wrote: “Thank you to all the amazing people that helped me this evening.”
Referencing the ongoing ambulance strikes, Collins added: “I really hope you get all you deserve. Really thankful in these current times to have such an amazing service.”
